Manning takes stage at Old 5Mile

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Musician Dave Manning tours in his 1965 VW bus at a lazy 50 mph all over the American West.

“Vincent — that’s the name of my bus — he likes going about 50. Any kind of hill though, and it’s back to 35 in third gear,” Manning said.

“The rich folks in their Mercedes going up to Tahoe get really impatient. In my mind, I pretend they are learning the Zen of traveling slow. But really, they just want to kill me.”

Manning will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday in the Stagecoach Lounge of the Old 5Mile House in Nevada City.

Manning was recently featured in “The Bus,” a documentary film about how the VW bus went from a post-World War II delivery vehicle to the cultural icon it is today. VW corporation flew Manning to the factory in Germany for the film’s debut.

“It was a red carpet shin-dig,” said Manning. “I told them, ‘Your fathers made a car that was cheap, reliable, and easy to fix; a true people’s car. That’s why it is still so loved.’ I think it was a rather socialist message I brought, but they seemed to understand.”

‘The Bus” aired several times nationwide on the Documentary Channel. Dave’s touring lifestyle is a centerpiece of film’s hour-long story.

Manning is back in the U.S. after a tour and album project in Scotland.

The album was fan-funded by a kickstarter.com fundraising effort by Manning.

The new album, due out this winter, was recorded at a house in the Scottish Highlands built in 1607.

The piano Manning used hadn’t even been moved since 1927.

The fiddler from well-known traditional Scottish band The Old Blind Dogs produced the album. “Johnny (Hardie) is an amazing musician.” Manning said, “It was a true privilege to record with him. That house, and that piano with all it’s history, stories, and ghosts was the perfect place to record this emotional album.”